


The Dinner

by aphelia



Category: Hannibal (TV), Venom (Movie 2018)
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-30
Updated: 2020-03-18
Packaged: 2021-02-27 12:46:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,242
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22477366
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aphelia/pseuds/aphelia
Summary: This is inspired by a tumblr post I saw https://animamosaic.tumblr.com/post/180098096430
Relationships: Eddie Brock/Venom Symbiote
Comments: 10
Kudos: 413





	1. The Dinner

Eddie Brock sat in an ornate room, green walls lined with shelves overflowing with books. Across from him sat Dr Hannibal Lecter, a notable psychologist who worked with the FBI as a supervisor to Will Graham. 

“So...” Eddie said, his worn notebook in one hand, pen in the other. “How did you first get into the, uh, business of working with the FBI?” he asked, twirling his pen for a moment before putting it to paper. 

Dr Hannibal narrowed his eyes slightly, contemplating his answer. “Well, part of that reason is confidential. After all, it involves my patients, of which I am under oath not to talk about. But I am someone who likes to help. And if I could help catch killers on these cases, I thought it was a worthy use of my time.” Eddie wrote it down, and flicked the page in his book to his questions - all researched thoroughly of course. He didn’t want a repeat of New York. Or San Francisco. Even if he  _ had _ been right about San Francisco. 

“Is there anything you can say about your investigations? Either ones you’ve worked on previously, or uh, ones you’re currently working on?” Eddie’s grip on his pen tightened, ever so slightly, which caught Dr Hannibal’s attention. And Venom’s. 

**_You’re doing fine, love. Relax. Besides, if he tries anything, we’ll just eat him._ **

“Do not worry, Mr Brock. I have no intention of trying to run you out of town if you step over any lines. That would be rude. I detest rudeness.” Hannibal replied smoothly, and Eddie’s hand relaxed, albeit not from his words. 

Eddie let out a small laugh. “You guys hear about that all the way here too, huh.... Why’d you agree to do this interview, then?”

“Call it an act of good will. And you’re an interesting man, Mr Brock. I’ve watched a few of your stories. You’re a good journalist, and I only wish to be interviewed by the best.”

Letting out a small sigh, Eddie let his posture relax more. “Well, I think my readers and I are curious about any stories you may have to share about your time with the FBI. Any you can tell us?”

“Not really. At least, not until the trials are over. And even then, patient doctor confidentiality would keep me from speaking up.”

“So then why agree to be interviewed by a guy known for doing interviews on this sort of shit?” 

“I can talk about certain things, like the locations, but not who I worked with.”

“Then talk about that. I asked for stories Dr Lecter, not people's life stories.”

  
  


After the interview was over, and both Eddie and Hannibal were satisfied with the results, Eddie packed his bag up, placing his book and phone away. 

“Mr Brock, if I may have a moment of your time?” 

Eddie looked over his shoulder to Hannibal. “Yeah sure, and call me Eddie. Only debt collectors call me Mr Brock.”

“Well then... Eddie. I’m having dinner tonight with some of my colleagues. Perhaps you would join us? Off the record of course.”

Eddie raised an eyebrow. “You sure you can trust me to keep it “Off record” Dr Lecter?” Eddie asked, amused. 

“Of course I can Eddie. Come to my house around 7. I'll send you the address.”

“Yeah... sure. See you then Dr Lecter.”

“Please, call me Hannibal.”

  
  


At 7pm sharp, Eddie knocked on Hannibal’s door, adjusting his bow tie his other had so helpfully made. It helped ease his racing thoughts to be able to touch Venom. Hannibal opened the door, wearing a smart tweed suit beneath a pristine apron. “Welcome Eddie, you're just on time.”

“Thanks for inviting me Doctor. Who else is comin'?”

“Will Graham - I'm sure you've heard of him. Mr Jack Crawford, head of behavioral sciences and Ms Alana Bloom. I enjoy entertaining so love having over as many people as possible. Come now, they're waiting inside.” 

Eddie followed behind Hannibal, passing by some unsettling pictures and animal heads before they found themselves in a large dining room with 3 other people already there, talking about nothing in particular. 

“Friends, this is Eddie Brock. Eddie, to my right is Mr Jack Crawford, next to him is Ms Alana Bloom, and to my left is Mr Will Graham. Feel free to sit wherever while I bring out dinner.”

He did as he was told and sat next to Will, noting how everything in Hannibal house had a sense of order to it, figuring that the man would appreciate his dinner table being balanced. The man next to him seemed tense, but knowing who he was made him feel he knew the reason why. “Uh, hi guys. I'm Eddie. Nice to meet you all.”

Jack and Alana blinked and looked at each other, before Jack turned his attention back to Eddie and gave a small guarded smile. “Nice to meet you Eddie.” 

Silence fell over the table until Hannibal carted out what looked to be roasted meat sliced thickly with black  _ things _ sprinkled on top, and a smear on the side of the plate. “A simple meal tonight I'm afraid. But might I present to you roasted lamb with eggplant caviar, and white miso and tomato reduced into a gel. Enjoy.” As he spoke, he placed the dishes in front of his guests. Once everyone was served, Hannibal took his place at the head of the table. “Bon Appétit.” 

Eddie internally raised a brow, cutting off a piece and placing it into his mouth. It only took him a moment to realize however that what they were eating was  _ not _ lamb. 

**_Eddie, this is human. And not even good human like the liver or brain. Or a head._ **

“ _ Yeah, figured that one out buddy.”  _ Swallowing, he looked at the other guests, happily eating and chatting amongst themselves. Should he say something? Did the others know? But then how could he bring up the fact that he knew what people tasted like without bringing up his other? His hesitation was easy for Hannibal to pick up on.

“Is something wrong with your food, Eddie?”

“Uh, no noooo. Just never tasted lamb like this before is all. My palate isn't as refined as you guys I guess.” As if to make a point of it, he cut off another piece and placed it in his mouth. Everyone at the table seemed to be satisfied with the answer, save for Hannibal, who narrowed his eyes for just a moment, before relaxing again. 

“And here I thought reporters dined well” Hannibal said jokingly. 

“'Fraid not, at least not in my case. Piss too many people off to eat nicely.” A cool lie. Well, half truth. He really did have a habit of pissing off people after all.

“I see” Hannibal replied, leaning back slightly in his chair. 

Eager to change the subject, Eddie looked to the other guests in the room. “So, uh, Mr Crawford, I hear you’re in charge of behavioral science. What kind of gig is that like? Off record of course.”

Jack paused in his conversation with Alana, turning to Eddie. “Well...” he said, choosing his words carefully. “It's a rewarding job, but very grueling. Looking for a change of careers, Mr Brock?”

“Eddie, and, no. Just curious. I mean, I’ve done investigating on serial killers myself- not like a hobby or something!” He raised his utensils slightly, before remembering his manners and lowering them. “Just, I mean, I reported on them, so I had to know about them.”

**_Ironic now isn’t it, now that we could be considered serial killers_ ** . 

‘ _ Yeah but we only eat bad people. _ ’

Jack nodded, smiling slightly. “I didn’t take you for a fanatic, don’t worry. People who idolize serial killers are strange. Trying to get into their heads...”

Will made a face at Jack. So did Hannibal, though his was more subtle.

“...Present company excluded, of course. And it’s not like you idolize them, Will.”

“But I can be highly empathetic, which is how we catch them.”

Sensing the tension in the room, Alana calmly cleared her throat.

“Hannibal. This meal is delicious. You must give me the recipe some time.”

“Ah Alana, you know I couldn’t. We do this song and dance every time.”

“Because your food is good.”

Eddie looked down at his plate. ‘ _ Right, the cooked people on my plate. Almost forgot about that. _ ’

**I wonder if there’s chocolate for dessert?**

‘ _ I’m more concerned with the person on my plate than dessert. Think you can... Eat it somehow? _ ’

**Eddie, if you wanted me in your mouth, you only had to ask.**

Eddie felt his cheeks flush slightly.

“Are you alright?” Will asked, looking at him head on.

“I’m.. fine. Just late nights as a reporter, you know. Wear you down. I’m fine though.”

Will’s eyes seemed to bore into him for a moment before turning away, seemingly satisfied with his answer. 

  
  


As the dinner party came to a close, Hannibal stared at Eddie. “May I talk to you in private, Eddie?”

Not wanting to be rude, Eddie nodded. “Sure, what’s up.” 

Hannibal shook his head, gesturing at Ed to follow. “Please, a talk should be in comfort, not awkwardly hovering at the threshold.”

“Uh, sure” he said, awkwardly rubbing his bow tie for reassurance. 

**If he tries anything, we eat him.**

‘ _ And then I get done for murder _ ’

**Self defense?**

Hannibal gestured at a lush green couch for Eddie to sit on, as he sat on the chair opposite.

“I know you were lying about my food this evening. I’m a psychologist. I’m trained to know how to spot a lie. Tell me the truth,  _ Eddie _ . You know what it actually tastes like.”

Panic set in. ‘ _ Don’t say the truth. Don’t say the truth. _ ’

“ **You eat people. You served up people. Not even the good bits.** ”

“What are you doing!”

“ **He wanted to know, so we will tell him.** ”

“Good fucking job. Now he’s gonna have to do a whole villain monologue about how now that we know he’s gotta silence us!”

“ **If he tries, we will just eat him.** ”

Hannibal watched Eddie carefully, listened to his voice change. 

“You could try to kill me, but better men than you have tried. Not to mention, if you succeed, you’ll be the prime suspect.”

Eddie looked at Hannibal fully. He had already considered that, but here the bastard was, spelling it out. 

“ **Alternatively, we let Carnage have fun with him, after we leave.** ”

“Carnage is still trying to kill us. Wouldn’t recommend it.”

“ **Then we transform, eat him and leave, love.** ”

“Transform, yes. Eat? No.” Eddie stood up, his form already rippling as his other slid out from his skin, engulfing him. “I doubt people would believe you if you mentioned this. Oh yeah, kill another person and we’ll definitely be back to actually eat you.” There was a pause. “Hannibal the Cannibal.” His transformation was complete.

“ **I’ll make sure to eat your liver first. Then your lungs. And your eyes and then your brain. All the delicious parts.** ” And with that, Venom left, transforming back at the door, safe away from Hannibal. 

As they got into the car and drove away, Eddie sighed. “If he tries anything, we’ll make good on that promise, okay?”


	2. The Hunt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eddie and Venom hear of a killing in Baltimore.   
> Time to make good on their promise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is literally for the 2 people that bookmarked it.   
> You go glen coco

It was 3 months before he heard of another killing in Baltimore. Eddie had been keeping an eye on the news, of course. His other half wanted an excuse to eat him, and he quietly admitted he wanted to remove another killer from the streets himself. So, a plan was formed. He knew they couldn’t actually be seen in Baltimore, but he could be in a motel in Wolf Trap, VA. And to explain his absences, he could have paid porn channel playing the entire time while he was gone. Or bring his ex. 

“So you just want me here as an alibi?” Anne asked, sitting in a dingy motel.

“Well, yeah. We gotta go take care of some... Stuff”

“ **We’re going to eat a cannibal** ”

“VENOM.”

“ **He’s a bad cannibal.** ”

“Yeah, cannibals are bad. But isn’t it hypocritical of you two?” Anne asked, arms folded over her chest. 

Brock stared at her for a moment. “Well, we only eat bad people.”

“ **Eddie won’t let me eat other people.** ” Venom supplied helpfully.

“Remind me why I agreed to this again?” 

“Because deep down you don’t want to see me go to jail for killing another person, even when that person deserves it?” 

A raised brow.

“And also because you can watch whatever you want and order whatever you want so long as when it gets delivered you make it seem like I’m in the shower?”

Anne huffed, getting off of her seat and sitting on the bed instead, turning on the tv, shifting her focus to the show that was now playing. A kids tv show about spiderman. 

“Fine, but I hope your credit card can handle it...”

  
  


Sneaking out of a window just at night fall, Eddie let Venom take over his body again, a practiced motion that was as easy as breathing at this point. Sticking to the shadows, they made their way as fast as possible, buildings fading behind them. If they had been in a car, it would have taken them an hour or so to get from their motel to Baltimore. Being in their “super” form however meant that time was less so. Webbing swung them through forests, and being on all fours pulled them faster along stretches of highway devoid of cars save for the lone truck driver who stared blankly ahead as they drove their late night cargo.

When they landed in Baltimore, they were careful and cautious to stay on rooftops, and out of sight of people. They didn’t need police intervention. What they needed was to get to Hannibal's house as quickly, quietly and stealthily as possible. 

Eddie and Venom arrived at Hannibal’s house at 2.24 am. The lights were off, and the street was dark, save for the street lights that flickered from time to time.

“ **He’s awake inside,** ” Venom said, moving them towards the back of the house. “ **In his basement no less. I can smell blood. And flesh. Delicious flesh.** ”

“ _ So he’s killing someone right now for food then _ ” Eddie thought back, not bothering to stop Venom. The first step of their plan was to gain entrance inside as quietly as possible, so as not to alert Hannibal. That just so happened to be Eddie’s specialty. Getting into places he wasn’t supposed to be. 

Clambering to the roof, Venom let a web slide under the crack of a window to unlock it, slipping back into Eddie and letting him climb through the window before surrounding him again. The inside was impressive and intimidating. They had come in through a study, and - like his office, this room was lined with books. A small desk fit snugly into the wall, surrounded by bookshelves neatly lined with titles on several different topics. The desk itself was neat, no papers scattered like Eddie would have on his own desk, if he had the space and place. Eddie allowed himself a moment to appreciate a murderer's taste, wondering how no-one caught on that he was a murderer when he had stuffed animal heads from hunts plastered all over the walls as well as a few suspicious leather pillows on a leather couch. 

Opening the only door in the room, they tiptoed out into a grand hallway, the walls littered with paintings and more stuffed heads. On a table was a shrunken head in a glass jar, no doubt from a victim. Underneath was a small plaque that was too hard to read in the dark. Moving down the stairs, Eddie let Venom find where to go, knowing his other halfs senses were better than his could ever be. Of course, that task was made much easier when they noticed the faint strip of light coming out from underneath a door frame. 

Carefully opening the door, they closed it behind them, sneaking their way downstairs. 

“Why do we have to be sneaky. Why can we not just run down and eat him?” Venom asked, impatience tinging his words. 

“ _ Because we get to surprise him when we’re sneaky, and if this place ain’t soundproofed, he can’t call for help _ ” Eddie supplied back. 

As they reached the bottom step, they saw plastic covering the entrance to the room. Knowing they wouldn’t be able to be silent any more once they pushed them open, they shoved them aside roughly, stepping forth into a plastic covered room, with a large metal table in the middle of it, a young man dead on a table, limbs already removed from his body. Hannibal looked up from his table, hack saw in hand, and seemed surprised to see Venom standing there. 

“ **Miss me?** ” Venom said as he shot a tendril around Hannibal’s arm, the one holding the hacksaw. 

“I didn’t think you would be back so soon. And to come inside my house uninvited, how rude.” Hannibal’s eyes narrowed, as he assessed the situation. 

“Oh I wouldn’t worry about assessin’ anything buddy. The only option you got is screamin’ but I don’t think that’s truly an option for you down here is it?And really, the second you scream, Venom bites your head off” As soon as Eddie said that, Venom’s mouth started to water, saliva dripping off of his tongue which curled out of his mouth. 

“ **I want to savour the taste, Mr Cannibal. The liver first, perhaps. You can live without that, yes? It means you get to live like your victims. Maybe your intestines?** ” There was a pause as Eddie made a face inside. “Y **ou’re right love, too much shit inside. The pancreas is particularly tasty, but not as tasty as the brain.** ”

“You can’t kill me Mr Brock. It would make you a hypocrite.”

“Funny thing that. I don’t seem to mind.” 

Hannibal made a grab with his free hand to try grab some of the tools laid neatly on his table. Before he could however, his arm was grabbed by another tentacle. Two more burst forward, one shoving the corpse off the table, the other wrapping around Hannibal’s leg. Coming closer, Venom lifted him onto the table and kept him pinned down. 

“Is this place soundproof?” Eddie asked.

“What will you do if it is?” Hannibal replied, struggling at his bonds.

“Kill you slowly.”

“No, it’s not.”

“Then I guess we’re eating your head.”

As Eddie said that, Venom’s tongue began curling around Hannibal’s head, saliva coating his face. 

“ **Any last words?** ”

“Someone will take my place. I’ve planted the seeds.”

“ **Good, more food for me.** ”

And with that, Venom ate his head clean off of his shoulders, killing him instantly. Letting the tendrils release Hannibal’s now lifeless body, they began their quick escape, covering their tracks and closing doors as they left. His absence would be noticed quickly, in the morning when his patients waited at his job. When his friends called his house. 

They left the way they came, through the window in the study. Eddie suggested they steal a few things to make it look like a robbery gone severely wrong, but time constraints meant they had to leave without anything to show for it. The town of Chesapeake would report this as another Chesapeake ripper murder, the last of it’s kind. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I write stuff when its 2am and i get inspired apparently *throws confetti everywhere*
> 
> follow me at apheliavampire.tumblr.com for no hanibal content  
> im sorry i like the fandom just.. its been years since it's been on my dash

**Author's Note:**

> Gomen that this isn't action heavy but I have a part two in the works that is
> 
> Find me on tumblr at apheliavampire.tumblr.com


End file.
